Why do Americans call Spanish speakers and Latinos "Spanish?"

[Threetrees]

wow are italians really considered white in USA? crazy

They are white

 

[Busgosu]

They are white

lol, people here have a hard time getting sarcasm, it seems

 

[650lb Sumo]

Nobody from Quebec refers to themselves as French wtf are you talking about.

Yes they do, I've heard it with my own ears. Also English-speaking Canadians calling French-speaking Canadians 'French'. Why are you so defensive about this?

 

[Joe_Armstrong]

It works weird with group names where people are involved.
People say black and white, but still say Asian.

 

[SuwoopBangin]

WTF should they consider themselves? Black?

italians aren't white!

 

[AlphaBetaShark]

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Yes they do, I've heard it with my own ears. Also English-speaking Canadians calling French-speaking Canadians 'French'. Why are you so defensive about this?

Not defensive, just rectifying something which is wrong. Where you are right though is that English speaking Canadians do tend to call Quebecois "French", so that maybe in that context a Quebecois could say to an English speaker "I am French".

My point is that Quebecois do not identify as French and would never say "je suis francais" when speaking French.

 

[The Clinch]

Folks are just ignorant about geography in general. Most Americans,brits, Canadians can't even spell Colombia correctly with an O.

Where’s Oolombia located?

 

[BearGrounds]

Well, I'm half PR but have a Spanish last name, likely because my ancestors were conquered and enslaved by Spaniards many moons ago.

Doesn't really make me Spanish, but kinda.

 

[Uber_Noober]

American checking in, I have no idea what you’re referring to. I’ve live here ell my life and haven’t experienced what you’re talking about.

 

[650lb Sumo]

Not defensive, just rectifying something which is wrong. Where you are right though is that English speaking Canadians do tend to call Quebecois "French", so that maybe in that context a Quebecois could say to an English speaker "I am French".

My point is that Quebecois do not identify as French and would never say "je suis francais" when speaking French.

When Québécois people in my presence said 'I am/we are French' it wasn't in just a linguistic context. It was the same phenomenon as all the US Americans calling themselves 'Irish' or 'Scottish'. They did say it in English though, even when I was speaking to them in French.

Come to think of it, that reminds me of the story of an Irishman and his mother who were visiting the USA. They were speaking Irish on the street in San Francisco and a local told them 'This is America, you need to speak English here.' They explained that Irish was their first language and he started telling him he was Irish too.

Edit for clarification: The local did not recognise or understand the Irish language. He was American.

 

[revoltub]

Hispanic seems to be used more. But I do hear spanish at times.

Its not really about understanding geography, like others said it is used as a catch all term If you need to describe someone and arent sure which of the 20 countries they could be from. So you just say Hispanic or spanish.

 

[CyberRubberDuck]

It gets confusing when talking to Americans about the Spanish. Once I was told an American guy that I the girl was seeing was Spanish and he asks me, "Oh where is she from?"

Or if I say, "I have some Spanish friends. I can bring them to the party." Americans will ask, "Which countries are they from?"

Of if I may hear some guy say he met a sexy Spanish girl, but it turns out she's Dominican or Colombian or something.

It's obviously Spain. Spanish in terms of nationality = from Spain.

We don't say Canadians, Saffas, Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans are English because they speak English. If you hear someone is English, nobody would ask which country he is from; they just assume he's from England.

I can imagine how confusing it must be for Spanish people to tell Americans that they are Spanish and Americans ask them which country they are from.

Spanish people are from Spain.

Some people think 'mexican' is a language. Some people are just stupid.

 

[Streeter]

Never heard even once from anyone. Maybe heard them referred to as Spanish speakers a time or 2 but that's it.... no clue where op pulled that from other than his ass

 

[Jack Reacheround]

We don’t m. We just call them Latinos, or Mexicans.

I’m not serious, of course. We just call them Latinos. Or if we know where they’re from specifically, Guatemalans, El Salvadorans, etc.

But we will occasionally call them “Spanish Speaking,” if we’re talking about a classroom environment because we have English as a Second Language Learning classes.

 

[dreden1982]

How come when someone says they are American no one asks what country at least North or South,
But if someone says they are European they will ask.

totally different. USA is the only country with America in its name.

 

[dreden1982]

Never heard even once from anyone. Maybe heard them referred to as Spanish speakers a time or 2 but that's it.... no clue where op pulled that from other than his ass

I've heard it many many times. Just cause you haven't heard doesn't mean he made it up. Smh. Btw why the fuck would someone refer to someone as a Spanish speaker. Sounds ridiculous .

 

[Streeter]

I've heard it many many times. Just cause you haven't heard doesn't mean he made it up. Smh. Btw why the fuck would someone refer to someone as a Spanish speaker. Sounds ridiculous .

I'm 50 years old and lived in Texas for 10 years and NEVER heard Latinos referred to as Spanish. I have heard Spanish speakers maybe once or twice an that's it as that's the closest to Spanish I could think of.

BTW Spanish speakers sounds more ridiculous to you than Spanish

 

[dreden1982]

I'm 50 years old and lived in Texas for 10 years and NEVER heard Latinos referred to as Spanish. I have heard Spanish speakers maybe once or twice an that's it as that's the closest to Spanish I could think of.

BTW Spanish speakers sounds more ridiculous to you than Spanish

I'm 50 years old and lived in Texas for 10 years and NEVER heard Latinos referred to as Spanish. I have heard Spanish speakers maybe once or twice an that's it as that's the closest to Spanish I could think of.

BTW Spanish speakers sounds more ridiculous to you than Spanish

well I'm from NY so maybe that's why but are you really saying that in Texas you'd refer to a friend "as my Spanish speaking friend" or "my girlfriend is a Spanish speaker"? Wtf? That sounds way crazier. I don't use it I say Latino.

 

[Busgosu]

Well, I'm half PR but have a Spanish last name, likely because my ancestors were conquered and enslaved by Spaniards many moons ago.

Doesn't really make me Spanish, but kinda.

PR for Puerto Rico? If so you'd have no doubts of how Spanish you are if you take a DNA test.